Butch and Leatha Jenkins

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Butch: I am the youngest son of a pastor, and God changed my life forever by sending me on a work team to Papua New Guinea when I was 24. The burden for outreach to underprivileged countries from that trip has never changed. It has been handed down to all our children, who have a love for people around the world. Building and projects have been my passion.

Leatha: I grew up on a farm in central Ohio and met Butch at Ohio Christian University (previously Circleville Bible College). We were married in 1974, and we have four children and 12 grandchildren. I have a passion for Bible storytelling.

Butch started traveling to Papua New Guinea on work teams in 1979. We first went as a family in 1981. Butch, along with local men, built 30 village churches.

In 1994, we returned to live in Ohio while our kids were getting their education and starting their families. During this time, Butch started a construction company called Amamas, which means happy or joy in Melanesian Pidgin, and he employed many young men who have gone on into ministry. During that time, Butch organized and led teams to multiple locations. Amamas is still a working company, operated by Butch’s nephew.

From 2006 to 2009, we lived on the Ohio Christian University campus, while Leatha was the World Gospel Mission Student Involvement director, which included organizing student ministry teams.

In 2009, we were appointed by WGM to return to Papua New Guinea. From 2011 to 2017, we reopened a station in the remote Nembi Highlands of the Southern Highlands, working together with the church leaders to build a community center and district church and helping with other building projects. We also worked with local men to record the New Testament in the Angal Enen language for the South Mendi-Nembi people. The recording is now available on solar-audio units and SD cards. We also worked at the Bible College in the Western Highlands, helping with maintenance and projects.

Now we have returned to the United States and continue to serve as missionaries, based in Circleville, Ohio. Butch is traveling as Men With Vision Project Manager, helping with the annual project as well as construction jobs on a variety of fields including PNG. He will also be organizing work teams to mobilize volunteers to come alongside our fields.